traininghttp://usahockeymagazine.com/taxonomy/term/117/all
enHealth Package: Ahead of the Gamehttp://usahockeymagazine.com/article/2016-08/health-package-ahead-game
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-subhead">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Striking The Right Balance When It Comes To Fitness And Nutrition Can Help You Excel On And Off The Ice </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-author-ref">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<div class="field-label-inline-first">
By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/99">USA Hockey Magazine</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/15_USAHM_Aug16.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="346" /></span></p>
<p>You take power skating lessons to perfect your stride. You spend hours in the driveway shooting pucks to improve the speed and accuracy of your shot. You play countless small area games to bolster your hockey sense. But what are you doing to make sure your body can perform at peak levels?</p>
<p>Training does not end when you leave the rink. In fact, it&rsquo;s only the beginning. Making sure you&rsquo;re developing your body through proper diet, exercise and rest are important regardless of what sport you play.</p>
<p>Just like the practice you put in on the ice, what you put into your body is what you&rsquo;ll get out.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="image-clear"></div> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-issue-ref">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<div class="field-label-inline-first">
Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2016-08">2016-08</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/2016-08/health-package-ahead-game#commentshealthnutritiontrainingFeatureMon, 25 Jul 2016 17:53:18 +0000admin13295 at http://usahockeymagazine.comThe Biggest Winnerhttp://usahockeymagazine.com/article/2016-04/biggest-winner
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-subhead">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Game Show Helps New Jersey Dad Drop Pounds And Rediscover His Passion For Life And Hockey </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-author-ref">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<div class="field-label-inline-first">
By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/12">Harry Thompson</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Feat_BiggestWinner1.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="500" /></span></p>
<p>In the agonizing final seconds of the most recent &ldquo;The Biggest Loser&rdquo; season finale, Stephen Kmet could only watch as the scale ticked down the weight of Roberto Hernandez, the last man that stood between him and the $250,000 grand prize. At that moment a strange but comforting thought popped into his mind.</p>
<p>An avid fan of the New Jersey Devils, Kmet thought back to the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs where his beloved team lost a hard-fought but heartbreaking seven-game series to the dreaded New York Rangers, who would go on to capture their first Stanley Cup in 54 years.</p>
<p>Just like the Devils, this 43-year-old pharmaceutical sales manager from Hainesport, N.J., stood before a live television audience knowing that he had left it all on the ice. Or in this case the gym floor.</p>
<p>&ldquo;As much as it sucked losing, I don&rsquo;t have any regrets. I don&rsquo;t think that I could&rsquo;ve done anything else,&rdquo; says Kmet, who dropped 133 pounds and 43.04 percent of the weight off his 309-pound frame.</p>
<p>&ldquo;All I kept thinking about on the stage was how this reminds me of &rsquo;94. It was heartbreaking but the Devils had to be proud of their accomplishments. And the next year they won the Cup.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Unfortunately, there is no next season for reality television contestants, but Kmet has something more. He has his life back.</p>
<p>A big part of that is the ability to return to the ice. Throughout the course of the show he continually demonstrated his passion for the game, at one point celebrating the loss of nine pounds because that mirrored his hockey number.</p>
<p>Kmet didn&rsquo;t pick up the game until his early teens when the Devils came to town in the early 1980s. He fell in love with the game and played four or five times a week with his club team at Albright College.</p>
<p>A big kid growing up, it wasn&rsquo;t until Kmet was laid off from his job and his father was diagnosed with ALS that things began to spiral out of control. He stopped playing hockey, and thanks to a steady diet of fast food and soda his weight ballooned to more than 300 pounds. That&rsquo;s when he and his wife, Jacky, decided to try out for &ldquo;The Biggest Loser.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t go on the show to win money; I went on the show to be a better role model for my kids and to obviously lose weight,&rdquo; he admits. &ldquo;If you would&rsquo;ve told me when I started that I would be a finalist and lose 133 pounds, I would&rsquo;ve told you that you were nuts.&rdquo;</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Feat_BiggestWinner2.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="394" /></span></p>
<p>Kmet credits a hockey mentality for his success, which spurred him to keep working hard and &ldquo;grinding it out&rdquo; until the final episode.</p>
<p>&ldquo;One thing with hockey is that lunch pail mentality,&rdquo; he says.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I took that mentality and said I&rsquo;m going to do what my coach said, work hard every single day and not complain.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Now that he has his life back in order, Kmet knows that hockey will play a prominent role as he continues to live a healthy lifestyle. That new life started several days after the prime-time finale aired on NBC when he walked into the Aspen Ice Rink in Flemington, N.J., to rejoin his Aces teammates for an adult league game.</p>
<p>&ldquo;When I walked into the locker room I felt like a celebrity, I felt like a superstar,&rdquo; says Kmet, who had to find gear that would fit his svelte new frame. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s just my home, the locker room. It&rsquo;s that feeling of win or lose, there&rsquo;s a brotherhood among hockey players.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Not only is he back on the ice, Kmet looks forward to teaching his 6-year-old son, Jack, to play the game that he loves.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Maybe it&rsquo;s from watching the show and hearing me talk about it, but it just lights me up that he wants to play,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m looking forward to watching him play and sharing my love and passion for the game that&rsquo;s part of me and was missing for a long time.&rdquo;</p>
<p>While his days on &ldquo;The Biggest Loser&rdquo; may have come to an end, Kmet knows that the real game is just beginning.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Feat_BiggestWinner3.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="452" height="628" /></span></p>
<div class="image-clear"></div> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-issue-ref">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<div class="field-label-inline-first">
Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2016-04">2016-04</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/2016-04/biggest-winner#commentsStephen KmetThe Biggest LosertrainingFeatureThu, 28 Apr 2016 18:49:46 +0000admin13036 at http://usahockeymagazine.comTrain Your Brain – Save Your Headhttp://usahockeymagazine.com/article/train-your-brain-%E2%80%93-save-your-head
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-author-ref">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<div class="field-label-inline-first">
By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/author/jacob-mars">Jacob Mars</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Hockey_IntelliGym_2_0_screenshot.jpg" alt="The Hockey IntelliGym Training Environment" title="The Hockey IntelliGym Training Environment" class="image image-_original " width="200" height="151" /><span class="caption" style="width: 198px;">The Hockey IntelliGym Training Environment</span></span></strong>Recently, concussion prevention and management have been at the forefront of ice hockey discussions regarding player safety. Over the past decade, hockey has undoubtedly become a faster game. Some players are unable to fully control their speed on the ice or are unable to recognize what is happening around them, which can result in injury. Oftentimes, as two players are racing toward the puck, one is not able to react quickly enough to avoid checking the other player illegally or missing the other player entirely and going into the boards. Such a scenario can result in a concussed player. What if both players had the cognitive ability to react quicker to the play, or had been scientifically trained to see the ice in ways they were not able to previously?</p>
<p>Players often report that they did not see the other player or were unable to react fast enough to the player in front of them and therefore could not stop in order to avoid checking from behind. Players also tell coaches that they saw the player coming at them but were unable to react quickly enough to avoid the oncoming check. Naturally, if players could anticipate better, react faster or even cope better with end-of-game fatigue, many of those injuries could be prevented.</p>
<table style="width: 226px; height: 239px;" border="0" cellspacing="10" cellpadding="20" align="right">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<h3>The Hockey IntelliGym <br />Can Improve Your: <br /></h3>
<p><strong>&nbsp;&bull; Anticipation<br />&nbsp;&bull; Information gathering<br />&nbsp;&bull; Dividing attention<br />&nbsp;&bull; Awareness<br />&nbsp;&bull; Concentration<br />&nbsp;&bull; Ability to adjust quickly<br />&nbsp;&bull; Coping with time constraints<br />&nbsp;&bull; Pattern recognition<br />&nbsp;&bull; Memory recall</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>But how can reaction time be accelerated? Anticipation improved? Fatigue influence reduced?</p>
<p>Recently, USA Hockey and Applied Cognitive Engineering co-developed a tool &ndash; The Hockey IntelliGym &ndash; that integrates into hockey a technology used by Air Force pilots. By training with The Hockey IntelliGym, players improve cognitive aspects such as reaction time, peripheral vision and mental awareness, while reducing mental fatigue towards the end of the game or shift. </p>
<p>In addition to training on-ice skills, USA Hockey recommends hockey players train their cognitive skills off the ice using The USA Hockey IntelliGym. Visit TheHockeyIntelliGym.com for more information.</p>
<h6>Contributing Authors: Kristin Ozzello, USA Hockey;<br />Jacob Mars; and Jacob Greenshpan<br /></h6>
<div class="image-clear"></div> </div>
</div>
</div>
http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/train-your-brain-%E2%80%93-save-your-head#commentsConcussion PreventionIntelligymtrainingFeatureWed, 01 Jun 2011 20:07:54 +0000admin4909 at http://usahockeymagazine.comErik Johnson Work Study Programhttp://usahockeymagazine.com/article/2007-11/erik-johnson-work-study-program
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-subhead">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Erik Johnson Gets On The Job Training In First NHL Camp </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-author-ref">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<div class="field-label-inline-first">
By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/12">Harry Thompson</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0711Eric2.img_assist_custom-267x191.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-267x191 " width="267" height="191" /></span>After watching Erik Johnson compete in a preseason rookie tournament in Traverse City, Mich., one NHL scout described him as &ldquo;a man among boys.&rdquo;</p>
<p>On Sept. 13, the day the St. Louis Blues opened its training camp, the roles were reversed for the No. 1 overall selection in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.</p>
<p>As Johnson pulled his 6-foot-4, 222-pound frame out from behind the wheel of his SUV, he was ready to report for his first day of&nbsp; work. Before he did, the 19-year-old sent his dad a text message.</p>
<p>&ldquo;This is kind of the end of the beginning for me . . . ending my amateur career and starting my pro career,&rdquo; Johnson wrote. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited about that.&rdquo;</p>
<p>His dad&rsquo;s response?</p>
<p>&ldquo;Play your game, and I know you can do it. I have confidence in you. We support you all the way.&rdquo;</p>
<p>As the future of the franchise, Johnson also has the support of his new employer.</p>
<p>&ldquo;He&rsquo;s going up two, three levels to the NHL, but after watching his training camp so far, he&rsquo;s got the skill set to be able to do this,&rdquo; Blues President John Davidson told the St. Louis media.</p>
<table style="width: 265px; height: 1314px;" border="0" cellspacing="10" cellpadding="20" align="right">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p><em><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0711Eric5.img_assist_custom-176x117.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-176x117 " width="176" height="117" /></span></em></p>
<h3>A DAY IN THE LIFE</h3>
<p><strong>10:30 a.m.<br />&nbsp; </strong>Erik Johnson pulls into the garage in his Range Rover for his first day of training camp with the St. Louis Blues. &ldquo;I wouldn&rsquo;t say that I was nervous. More than anything I was just eager to be here.&rdquo;<strong></strong></p>
<p>10:50 a.m.<br />&nbsp; Johnson tapes his stick before every game and sometimes before practices.&nbsp; &ldquo;I definitely do it the same way every time, but I don&rsquo;t have any real superstitions about it.&rdquo;<br /><strong><br />11:20 a.m.<br /></strong>&nbsp; The St. Louis Blues provides lunch for the players during camp. &ldquo;I pretty much eat whatever. I like steak and pasta a lot, and usually omelets for breakfast.&rdquo;<strong></strong></p>
<p>11:40 a.m.<br />&nbsp; Johnson poses for his first official photo shoot with the Blues. &ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know about the photo shoot. I felt kind of weird at first, but it was fun.&rdquo;<strong></strong></p>
<p>12:30-2:30 p.m.<br />&nbsp; The team splits into three groups for a lengthy practice. &ldquo;It was the worst thing ever, I thought it would never end. So brutal, I thought I was going to die,&rdquo; said Johnson of his seemingly never-ending first practice.<br /><strong><br />2:45 p.m.<br /></strong>&nbsp; Johnson gives an interview to a member of the media. He has gotten used to the media attention after every team function, but jokes that sometimes he &ldquo;can&rsquo;t get to the showers because there is a wall of reporters.&rdquo;<strong></strong></p>
<p>3:00 p.m.<br />&nbsp; Johnson does a quick cardio workout with the team trainer Nelson Ayotte &ldquo;just to flush the legs out&rdquo; after a long practice.<strong></strong></p>
<p>4:00 p.m.<br />&nbsp; With his first day of training camp behind him, Johnson heads back to his car to go home, where he lives with Al MacInnis. &ldquo;Sometimes I have to take a step back and really see what I&rsquo;m doing. This is a big privilege and it&rsquo;s where anybody wants to be in their career. I&rsquo;m still pretty young, so it may take awhile to really sink in.&nbsp; But so far it&rsquo;s been a lot of fun.&rdquo;</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve surrounded him [with veteran players], so the transition should be really smooth. He just has to play. He doesn&rsquo;t have to worry about being the guy. He doesn&rsquo;t have to carry this team. As a No. 1 pick, he&rsquo;ll face his share of pressure and ups and downs, but the fans here are reasonable, patient people.&rdquo;</p>
<p>While his progress has been watched intensely by Blues fans since being selected first overall in the 2006 draft, the 19-year-old Johnson tries to let others worry about things he can&rsquo;t control.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0711Eric7.img_assist_custom-251x168.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-251x168 " width="251" height="168" /></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not a guy that really puts pressure on myself too much,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I feel really good out there, I haven&rsquo;t been nervous at all. I&rsquo;ve been happy with how I&rsquo;ve been playing and I&rsquo;ve really been trying to keep things simple, so that&rsquo;s helping me out a lot.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Johnson&rsquo;s first day began at 10:30 a.m., and&nbsp; wrapped up about 4 p.m.</p>
<p>Head Coach Andy Murray divided the team in three groups, so players aren&rsquo;t on the ice all day, but each team did go through an off-ice workout, an hourlong practice and two of the three teams played a scrimmage game.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="http://usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0711Eric4.img_assist_custom-251x167.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-251x167 " width="251" height="167" /></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>As coaches ran through the paces, Blues&rsquo; scouts were busy scribbling down notes as they watched the practices. Murray assigned each scout five or six players to watch, and that scout was responsible for an evaluation sheet on each player.</p>
<p>After spending much of the summer skating in development rookie camps, Johnson said the real deal was completely different.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It had a different kind of meaning for me, just because I&rsquo;m playing for a spot in the NHL,&rdquo; Johnson said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a little bit easier coming in now, after being in St. Louis so many times. I&rsquo;m just kind of used to everything, so that made the transition smooth. I thought I had a good first day.&rdquo;</p>
<div class="image-clear"></div> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-issue-ref">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<div class="field-label-inline-first">
Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2007-11">2007-11</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/2007-11/erik-johnson-work-study-program#commentsErik JohnsonNHL CamptrainingFeatureFri, 29 Apr 2011 19:11:56 +0000admin4751 at http://usahockeymagazine.comIntelliGym’s Maine Focushttp://usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-01/intelligym%E2%80%99s-maine-focus
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-subhead">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
New USA Hockey Product Helping Perennial College Powerhouse </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-author-ref">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<div class="field-label-inline-first">
By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/author/jessi-pierce">Jessi Pierce</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Maine-Intelligym.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="415" /></span></p>
<p>With two National Championships and 17 NCAA appearances, the University of Maine is no stranger to success. Consistently ranked in the Top 15 in the USA Today / USA Hockey Magazine Men&rsquo;s College Hockey Poll, the Black Bears are using a different type of tool &ndash; the Hockey Intelligym &ndash; to remain on a winning track.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think the Hockey IntelliGym will help players over the course of the season with hockey sense and decision making on the ice,&rdquo; said Head Coach Tim Whitehead, who&rsquo;s team began using the product at the start of the 2010-11 season.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s easy to do on their own time. With the busy schedule that these collegiate athletes have with school, homework and training, to be able to do it online at a time that fits best with them is great. &rdquo;</p>
<p>The Hockey IntelliGym, released to the public this past October, is a program that allows players to improve on a variety of hockey-related skills, including perception, short-term memory focus and decision-making skills. In addition, coaches like Whitehead are able to follow each player&rsquo;s progress and fine-tune their programs as necessary.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/Maine.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="385" /></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s still early on in the year, but judging by the players&rsquo; reaction to the Hockey IntelliGym, and their reaction time on the ice, I can already see the difference it&rsquo;s making,&rdquo; Whitehead said. &ldquo;Most of the players&rsquo; reaction time has seemed to improve and they are making quicker decisions on the ice and under pressure. I am thrilled that we are able to utilize this type of tool in our program.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The scientific concepts implemented in the Hockey IntelliGym were originally developed by Applied Cognitive Engineering to train fighter pilots in the Air Force. The same principles were used to create a Basketball Intelligym and now the Hockey Intelligym.</p>
<p>Teams with the National Team Development Program worked with the program last season, and experienced almost immediate success on the ice, winning the World U-17 Hockey Challenge and the IIHF Under-18 Championship. Now the program is ready to be used by players at all levels of the game.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think especially in today&rsquo;s fast pace world, anytime you can gain a competitive edge or advantage over opponents it goes a long way,&rdquo; said Black Bears sophomore defenseman Mike Cornell.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The IntelliGym helps keep you one step ahead of the play and helps you read the on-ice plays better, so you can react differently in any given situation. It&rsquo;s easy to see how it can benefit any player, and I am definitely excited that I am able to train with it and help apply it to my game.&rdquo;</p>
<p>To purchase the Hockey IntelliGym go to <a href="http://www.TheHockeyIntelliGym.com" target="_blank">TheHockeyIntelliGym.com.</a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h6>Photos courtesy of The University of Maine<br /></h6>
<div class="image-clear"></div> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-issue-ref">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<div class="field-label-inline-first">
Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2011-01">2011-01</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/2011-01/intelligym%E2%80%99s-maine-focus#commentshockey trainerIntelligymtrainingFeatureThu, 27 Jan 2011 16:38:41 +0000admin3852 at http://usahockeymagazine.comStrike A Posehttp://usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-04/strike-pose
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-subhead">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
Hockey Players Are Seeing The Benefits Of Yoga As Part Of Their Training </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-author-ref">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<div class="field-label-inline-first">
By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/35">Michael Huie</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0804-yoga-Tim-Thomas-1.jpg" alt="Tim Thomas" title="Tim Thomas" class="image image-_original " width="525" height="380" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">Tim Thomas</span></span></strong></p>
<p>Last summer Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas spent part of his offseason training learning about the downward dog and warrior positions as well as the butterfly. </p>
<p>The centuries-old study of yoga, which is part philosophical and part physical, has found its way into the workout routines of many top athletes. Yoga is becoming more accepted as part of an athlete&rsquo;s training, and that includes hockey players.</p>
<p>Thomas spent a considerable part of his offseason working with Dana Edison, who uses yoga to train professional athletes as part of her business, Radius Yoga Conditioning. Thomas and Edison worked twice a week for about 75 minutes each day during the early part of the offseason. Thomas says the yoga workouts were vigorous and that after five minutes he was covered in sweat.</p>
<p>&ldquo;People don&rsquo;t really realize how hard of a workout yoga really is,&rdquo; he says. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not just stretching and sitting on the floor.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&ldquo;I work them really hard and there are times when they are cursing me, but by the end of it they love it,&rdquo; Edison adds.</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/yoga1.jpg" alt="Yoga instructor Dana Edison helps Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas find his inner warrior in yoga&amp;rsquo;s &amp;ldquo;Warrior II&amp;rdquo; pose." title="Yoga instructor Dana Edison helps Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas find his inner warrior in yoga&amp;rsquo;s &amp;ldquo;Warrior II&amp;rdquo; pose." class="image image-_original " width="380" height="301" /><span class="caption" style="width: 378px;">Yoga instructor Dana Edison helps Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas find his inner warrior in yoga&rsquo;s &ldquo;Warrior II&rdquo; pose.</span></span></strong>Edison says professional athletes have long used yoga techniques as part of their training. None other than Mark Messier told ESPN&nbsp; The Magazine that he used meditation and yoga to help him later in his career, but Edison says athletes are using yoga today in a different way.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Yoga as a means of corrective exercise and as a specific compliment to what they&rsquo;re already doing is a new application,&rdquo; she says.</p>
<p>Edison focuses on yoga that is specific to each sport. She says her yoga workout pays off in several areas, including functional strength, the correction of the body&rsquo;s imbalances, injury prevention and mental preparation. Part of her work with any athlete includes an hourlong physical assessment, which includes a discussion with their trainer to find the athlete&rsquo;s weak areas. Watching Thomas she learned that his left trapezius muscle was shorter and tighter than his right, which created an imbalance and affected the movement with his catching glove.</p>
<p>Thomas, who is from Flint, Mich., says the workouts with Edison helped him improve his flexibility. He feels the improvement can be seen in his improved play this season, play that won him a spot in this year&rsquo;s NHL All-Star game.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s helped my flexibility in the butterfly,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s opened my hips up a little bit. And it helped me mentally in the way that I knew I had prepared as much as I could [last] summer.&rdquo;</p>
<p>For U.S. Olympian Sarah Tueting, playing goalie was a time when she could turn her mind off and concentrate on one thing &ndash; stopping the puck. When she retired from the sport in 2002, she missed that feeling.</p>
<p><strong><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/0804-yoga-Tueting-2.jpg" alt="U.S. Olympic goaltender Sarah Tueting found that yoga helped with both her concentration and focus." title="U.S. Olympic goaltender Sarah Tueting found that yoga helped with both her concentration and focus." class="image image-_original " width="525" height="371" /><span class="caption" style="width: 523px;">U.S. Olympic goaltender Sarah Tueting found that yoga helped with both her concentration and focus.</span></span></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;For me, it&rsquo;s what I miss about hockey and it&rsquo;s what I found in yoga,&rdquo; she says, &ldquo;a place where I can be most fully present without the mind getting in the way.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Tueting was in net for the U.S. Women&rsquo;s team gold-medal run at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, but she then retired from the game after winning silver at Salt Lake City in 2002. She says she took the occasional yoga class when she was still playing, but wishes she&rsquo;d known the broader benefits of yoga during her playing days. </p>
<p>&ldquo;Goalies live in their head,&rdquo; Tueting says. &ldquo;Being able to hold these poses has a lot to do with focus. If I was playing, absolutely I would have benefited [from yoga].&rdquo;</p>
<p>Teena Murray, the strength and conditioning coach for the USA Hockey Women&rsquo;s National program, also sees the benefits of yoga for hockey players.&nbsp; She has made yoga a part of the current women&rsquo;s team&rsquo;s training regimen.</p>
<p>&ldquo;What we do is definitely use it in our warm-ups, and in some of our post-workout stretching we use some of the poses,&rdquo; says Murray, who is the director of Olympic Sports Performance at the University of Louisville. &ldquo;We mainly use it as a regeneration tool on an off day.</p>
<p>Murray has personally used bikram yoga, which takes place in a room heated to more than 100 degrees, for about five years. She says yoga has value for her as a cleansing tool, but for the players she says it helps them stay in tune with their bodies on a day when they are not working out. She says the practice of yoga certainly has value for goalies, whom it helps with concentration and focus, but also can help skaters with increased mobility, balance and relaxation.</p>
<p>Even athletes who have used yoga in their training acknowledge there can be resistance from those who think yoga means lying on the floor and chanting. Edison says she usually waits until athletes see the physical benefits of yoga before incorporating breathing work.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t necessarily position that right at the beginning with most players because I don&rsquo;t want to scare them away,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;The breathing is a key component of the workout. Anytime you&rsquo;re stressed out someone will say to you &lsquo;take a deep breath.&rsquo; &rdquo;</p>
<p>Despite the misconceptions, Tueting says yoga should be a part of any serious athlete&rsquo;s training.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think you might run into resistance, because people at that level know their bodies so well. I could see people being so anal about their own particular world of training they might not be open to it,&rdquo; she says.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think everybody can benefit from meditation. Hands down that should be part of everybody&rsquo;s training, I think. It helps you let go of the negative thoughts, and if you&rsquo;re thinking about a past goal you&rsquo;re just going to get scored on again.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Tueting, who has studied yoga in India, says the spiritual aspect of yoga where the mind and body feel truly connected is the same sense that athlete feel when they are &ldquo;in the zone.&rdquo; </p>
<p>&ldquo;If you have a practice that allows you to continually visit that place, it will come back easier on the hockey rink,&rdquo; she says.</p>
<p>Thomas is also sold on yoga, and says he plans to use it again next offseason. <br />&ldquo;Definitely with the season I&rsquo;ve had I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;m going to switch too much.&rdquo;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h6>Photos - Getty Images, NESN, USA Hockey</h6>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="20" cellpadding="20" bgcolor="#eaf6ff">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<h2>Bending And Stretching Your Way To Better Hockey<br /></h2>
<p>Bikram Yoga, also known as Hot Yoga, features 26 postures that are designed to promote strength and flexibility, and improve circulation, digestion, mental health and general well being. These postures are best performed after the athlete is warm, i.e., post-practice and in a room that is relatively warm (105 degrees with 40 percent humidity) to provide an environment that promotes flexibility.</p>
<p>Here are several Bikram Yoga poses designed to help hockey players with their core strength, flexibility and concentration.</p>
<p><em>(Thanks to members of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program for demonstrating these poses.)</em></p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/1Yoga-handfeet.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="355" height="265" /></span></p>
<h4>Standing Hands-To-Feet Pose (Pada-Hasthasana)</h4>
<p>Your feet should be close together with the toes and heels touching. Bend your knees and use all five fingers to reach around and &ldquo;scoop&rdquo; up the heels from behind. Slowly begin to press the stomach to the thighs, chest to the knees, and face to the shins. If you can achieve the face on the shins, slowly start to straighten the knees until they are straight. The final position is your head touching your toes.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This pose stretches the hamstrings, gluts and lower/middle/upper back.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/2yoga_eagle.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="144" height="230" /></span>Eagle Pose (Garurasana)</h4>
<p>Your feet should be close together. Swing your arms up overhead, swing back down crossing the right under the left and twisting at the wrist so that your hands join in prayer position with the thumbs towards the face. Pull downward to stretch the shoulder/scapulae, bend down on both knees. Pick up the right leg and cross it high over the thigh and continue to wrap the lower right leg around the lower left leg until all five toes are visible on the other side of the left leg. Continue to straighten the spine and sit as low as possible. Repeat on the</p>
<p>left side.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This pose compresses and opens all major joints in the body, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles.</p>
<h4><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/3yoga_tohead.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="355" height="262" /></span></h4>
<h4>Standing Head to Knee Pose (Dandayamana-Janushirasana)</h4>
<p>Stand with your feet together, bend over and pick up your right foot with all 10 fingers interlocked. Your standing leg must remain straight (locked). If standing leg is locked, slowly begin to extend left leg forward until also in a locked position. Only if both legs are locked, bring your forehead to knee and elbows below the calf muscle. Repeat on the left leg.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose:</strong> This pose is aimed at strengthening of hamstring and quadricep muscles, improves flexibility of sciatic nerves.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>Locust Pose (Salabhasana)</h4>
<p>Lie on your stomach with chin on floor. Place your arms under your body with your palms facing down. Straighten your right leg and lift to a 45-degree angle; repeat left leg. Turn your head downward placing mouth on floor, squeeze both legs together and straighten and lift both legs simultaneously.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This pose strengthens the lower and middle back, can relieve pain from slipped or herniated discs, scoliosis, sciaitica and arthritis. Also helps with carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/4yoga-fullLfly.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="355" height="207" /></span></p>
<h4>Full Locust Pose (Poorna-Salabhasana)</h4>
<p>Lie on your stomach with your chin forward, and tighten your leg muscles such that toes are pointed, knees straight, hips contracted. Simultaneously lift both legs and both arms up off the floor like an airplane. The higher the better.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This pose strengthens middle back, gluts, and hamstrings. It is helpful in treating scoliosis, kyphosis, spondylosis, and slipped discs.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/5yoga_pray.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="355" height="186" /></span></p>
<h4>Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)</h4>
<p>Lie on stomach. Grasp feet from the inside, two inches below the toes.&nbsp; Lift head and legs simultaneously using leg and back strength to make the body look like a teardrop from the side.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose:</strong> This pose opens the rib cage, front side stretching. It&rsquo;s good for your digestive system.</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.usahockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/5yoga-bow.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="355" height="243" /></span></p>
<h4>Half Tortoise Pose (Ardha-Kurmasana)</h4>
<p>Kneeling down with your hips on your feet, stretch up with both arms, place hands in prayer position. Slowly bend forward trying to keep the hips on the heels, while eventually getting the forehead on the floor, pinky fingers on the floor, arms extended forward maximally.</p>
<p><strong>Purpose:</strong> This pose stretches your neck and shoulders; lengthens spine, increases blood flow to the brain.</p>
<h6>Yoga Photos - Dave Reginek<br /></h6>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="image-clear"></div> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-issue-ref">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<div class="field-label-inline-first">
Issue:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/issue/2008-04">2008-04</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/2008-04/strike-pose#commentsBoston Bruinshockey trainerOff-Ice TrainingSarah TuetingTim ThomastrainingyogaFeatureWed, 22 Jul 2009 19:07:06 +00001129 at http://usahockeymagazine.comTraining For Tryouts Is All About Attitudehttp://usahockeymagazine.com/article/training-tryouts-all-about-attitude
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-subhead">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
With Erik Johnson of the Colorado Avalanche </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-author-ref">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<div class="field-label-inline-first">
By:&nbsp;</div>
<a href="/node/99">USA Hockey Magazine</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/erik_johnson.img_assist_custom-180x209.png" alt="" title="" class="image image-img_assist_custom-180x209 " width="180" height="209" /></span>Defenseman Erik Johnson&rsquo;s hard work paid off when he was the first overall pick of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues</p>
<p>For some of you, tryouts are just around the corner. Some players find tryouts to be a nerve-wracking time, but if you take the time in the offseason and prepare yourself there&rsquo;s no reason you won&rsquo;t hear your name called when it comes time to pick the team.</p>
<h3>Tip #1</h3>
<p>You want to be in shape when you show up at tryouts. That doesn&rsquo;t mean you have to knock yourself out during the summer, but you shouldn&rsquo;t be out of breath or hanging over the boards after the first drill. There are a lot of fun activities you can do in the summer away from the rink to improve your conditioning, such as soccer, lacrosse, swimming, bike riding or inline/street hockey.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/usahtip1.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="220" height="218" /></span></p>
<h3>Tip #2</h3>
<p>Don&rsquo;t let tryouts be the first time you&rsquo;ve stepped on the ice since last season. Get on the ice a few times before tryouts so you can regain the feel of the puck and condition the muscles needed for skating. Playing shinny or pick-up hockey is a great way to practice your hockey skills and get in shape. It&rsquo;s also a great chance to make sure your equipment is in good condition and still fits.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span class="inline inline-none"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/sep04tip2.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="385" height="193" /></span></p>
<h3>Tip #3</h3>
<p>Go out and play your game. Do what you do well and don&rsquo;t be distracted by who&rsquo;s evaluating or what other players are doing on the ice. Be assertive, be hungry and be at the front of the line for every drill. Pay attention and listen to what the coaches&rsquo; instructions. Show them that you&rsquo;re excited to be there and you&rsquo;re ready to do whatever it takes to make the team.</p>
<h3><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/aug04tip4.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="210" height="133" /></span>Tip #4</h3>
<p>Remember that hockey is a game of mistakes. If you miss a pass, lose an edge and fall or overskate the puck, don&rsquo;t dwell on it. Get back up and keep working hard. Keep a positive frame of mind, and look forward to your next opportunity to do something well.</p>
<h3>Remember This</h3>
<p>It&rsquo;s up to you to earn a spot on the team. Don&rsquo;t look to blame anyone else if you don&rsquo;t succeed. Hopefully you&rsquo;ll make the team you&rsquo;re trying out for. If things don&rsquo;t work out, it&rsquo;s important to learn from the experience and continue to work hard on all aspects of your game.</p>
<div class="image-clear"></div> </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="field field-type-text field-field-article-thumbnail">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="http://www.ushockeymagazine.com/sites/default/files/images/erik_johnson.thumbnail.png" alt="" title="" class="image image-thumbnail " width="86" height="100" /></span></p>
<div class="image-clear"></div> </div>
</div>
</div>
http://usahockeymagazine.com/article/training-tryouts-all-about-attitude#commentsErik JohnsonHockey tipstrainingtryoutsTips from the StarsFri, 29 May 2009 14:19:37 +0000338 at http://usahockeymagazine.com